Astrophotography By Kerry

Astrophotography
By Kerry-Ann Lecky Hepburn © 2007

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* A dedication to my Dad - who was a major source of encouragement through my life
* Adventures in Astrophotgraphy - A documentation of my beginnings in this intensive hobby + 2007 a year of leaps and strides
* Focal Reducer test - using the Celestron SCT f6.3 focal reducer on the 80mm refractor to achieve a larger FOV and faster imaging speeds

*Most images can be clicked on to view the full frame or higher resolution version

January 2008

B33 and Flame Nebula
Canon 40D unmodded + 80mm 1.5 hrs through high thin cloud

December 2007
Moon and Mars conjunction
Canon40D + 80mm on a camera tripod
(Click for larger view)

November 2007
Orion Widefield (Tripod only)
Canon 40D, Sigma 28-300mm @28mm, f4, 20sec exposures totalling 8min

IC1805 Heart Nebula
A giant heart in the heavens dedicated to my loving father who just passed away.
He will be greatly missed, but we will some day meet again.
~3.5 hrs total with Sky-Watcher 80mm Equinox, Canon 40D unmodded @ IS0 1600

Comet Holmes
A tail is born!!!
A greatly stretched image comprising of many 2min exposures total time ~45min. Taken with the 80mm scope

Almost a month of dramatic change, c6-SCT @ f10

NGC253 Sculptor Galaxy, aprox 45min total
C6@f6.3, Canon 40D ISO800

October 2007

M42, The Great Orion Nebula
Canon 40D and SW Equinox 80mm. Autogided with DSI on the c6-SCT. cg5-GT mount, stacked in DSS, processed in PS + ran noels space noise action.
15x180sec, 21x60sec, 20x30sec, 20x10sec @ ISO 800

M45 Plieades, click to see entire cluster
SW Equinox 80mm + Canon 40D
23x180sec

M1 Crab nebula
6in SCT @f6.3 + Canon 40D
18x180sec

Re-processed images from September
M31 Andromeda Galaxy and M33 Pinwheel Galaxy
I added another stack of approximately 45min to an hour to M33.

NGC891 ~45min total exp @ISO 800 through Canon 40D and c6 SCT/f6.3

M27
Focussed with Canon 40D Liveview on Sham mag 4.37
Scope: Celestron 6in SCT @ f6.3 ( with wires for diffraction spikes), No Filters
Mount: CG5-GT (ASGT)
Camera: Canon 40D (unmodded)
Exposure: 42min total, each frame ~3min, ISO 800, darks and flats
Guiding: DSI-C with SW Equinox 80mm APO, PHD Guiding
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, PS (Curves, Levels, Saturation, Noels Space Noise action)

M15, Canon 40D 'first light'
Scope: Celestron 6in SCT @ f6.3 ( with wires for diffraction spikes)
Mount: CG5-GT (ASGT)
Camera: Canon 40D (unmodded)
Exposure: 7x1min,8x2min, 23min total, ISO 800, darks and flats
Guiding: DSI-C with SW Equinox 80mm APO, PHD Guiding
Processing: Deep Sky Stacker, PS (Curves, Levels, Saturation, Filters, Noels Actions)

September 2007

September 20
A stack of my first and second attempt at M31. Two different nights combined into one.
Canon 300D, 80mm Equinox, CG5-GT mount, 45min + 1hr 6min.

September 18
M33 Pinwheel Galaxy, Canon 300D unmodded, c6 SCT @f6.3, 15x4min, 3 flats, 4 darks

NGC7000 North America Nebula, Canon 300D unmodded, 80mm Equinox, 10x4min, 2 darks

September 3
M17 Swan Nebula
canon300D unmodded, c6 SCT @f10
33 x 2.5 min = 1hr 22min, 3 flats, 4 darks

August 2007

August 28
Lunar Eclipse

August 16
Open Cluster NGC6939 and galaxy NGC6946
Canon 300D, Skywatcher 80mm Equinox, 20x3min + darks and flats @ ISO 800

August 13
M31 Andromeda Galaxy
Canon 300D, Skywatcher 80mm Equinox, 15x3min + 4 darks @ ISO 800
Autoguided with Meade DSI on the c6-SCT

August 10

NGC 6992 (Network Nebula - 'the Viel')
Canon 300D, C6-SCT, f6.3 focal reducer, 9x3-5min + darks @ ISO 800
Autoguided with Meade DSI on the Sky-Watcher 80mm Equinox

M16 - Eagle Nebula
Canon 300D, C6-SCT, f6.3 focal reducer, 9x3-5min + darks @ ISO 800
Autoguided with Meade DSI on the Sky-Watcher 80mm Equinox

August 4 - M51 Whirpool Galaxy
M51 15x3-5min, C6SCT
- M71 Globular Galaxy, C6SCT

July 2007

July 21 - M27 dumbell nebula (first Autoguided image)
Imaged through C6 SCT with Canon 300D
3x5min + 2 darks stacked in DSS
autoguided with PHD guiding and Meade DSI in 80mm

July 15 - M101 (2nd attempt) and Comet VZ13 Linear
Imaged through 80mm APO ~ 10 to 12 min total exp.
Click for widefield images

June 2007

June 22 - M8 Lagoon Nebula 3 x 4 min
- M20 Trifid Nebula 3 x 3 min
both imaged with SW Equinox 80mm APO @ prime focus and manualy guided with c6 SCT
stacked with two darks in Deep Sky Stacker and processed in PS

June 10 - M57 Ring Nebula, NGC 6871 open cluster, NGC 4565 edge on spiral galaxy

June 7- M101 Pinwheel Galaxy (1st attempt)- a hazy night

May 2007

M13 globular cluster in Hercules. Canon 300D @ prime focus on c6-sgt with f6.3 focal reducer.
2x1min and 1x22sec exposure, ISO1600

May2 - another attempt at Saturn through the Canon. M81and M82 first attempt total exp 4 min (two stacked images) through the c6-sgt

April 19 to 23, 2007

'First light' image through 80mm APO

Images through C6. First attempt at manual guiding with the aid of 80mm
M51 total 10 min exp (3 images stacked) and M13 single frame 30 sec exp

April 10, 2007 Observing with the HAA

This was my first night observing with the Hamilton Amateur Astronomers at Binbrook Convervation Area.
This was also my first attempt at widefield (unguided) piggyback photography (Canon300D on the C6).
I shot a few pics of Venus and the Plieades(M45) together, and then Orion's Belt. Afterwards I couldn't resist
photographing the beautiful Binbrook scenery. Below you can see one shot with the constellation Orion
reflected in the water. My exposures varied from 30 sec to 1min.

Venus and M45

Orion's Belt and Sword

C6 with dewshield and Orion Setting

February 24, 2007 'First light' images through the new C6

Moon
c6-sgt + 300D @ prime focus

Saturn
c6-sgt + 300D 25mmEP, 2x Barlow

1996 - 2006